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| The following Atlanta Campaign photos are courtesy of Don Worth, unless otherwise noted | ||
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(10-02)
Ringgold Depot, built in 1849,
and in continuous use on the Western & Atlantic Railroad until recently.
The view is to the northeast. The corner of the building nearest the
camera was damaged by Hooker's artillery during the battle of Ringgold
Gap in November, 1863 and was later repaired with lighter colored
sandstone. The "Great Locomotive Chase" ended just north of Ringgold
depot, with Andrews and his raiders capture |
(10-02) Artillery Damage |
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Downtown Ringgold, facing west
along US 41-GA 3. Most of Ringgold was destroyed by the armies that
fought through it during the Civil War |
Ringgold Gap, facing east at the
outskirts of Ringgold (stone pillar marks the entrance to Ringgold.) The
first Atlanta Campaign Pavilion is at the turnout on the right |
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Marker on US-41 north of
Ringgold. Road was used during the Civil War |
Ringgold Depot looking north |
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Old Federal Road cut at first
railroad bridge south of Ringgold depot. The road forded the creek here |
Spring by Old Federal Road near
first bridge below Ringgold |
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Gen.
George Thomas' 60,000 man Army of the Cumberland moved south from
Chattanooga and, on May 4, 1864 marched into Ringgold, site of a
desperate rearguard action between Federal Gen. Joseph Hooker and
Confederate Gen. Patrick Cleburne six months earlier. Thomas moved into
the Dogwood Valley west of Rocky Face Ridge, joining Gen. John
Schofield's Army of the Ohio near Tunnel Hill. The two Federal armies
deployed to face Johnston's fortifications along Rocky Face Ridge from
Mill Creek Gap on the railroad south to Dug Gap, southeast of Dalton.
Meanwhile McPherson moved south toward Ship's Gap and Snake Creek Gap in
an attempt to capture Johnston's supply line, the Western & Atlantic
Railroad, near Resaca. While Thomas and Schofield assaulted Mill Creek
Gap and Dug Gap in a series of costly attacks, holding Johnston's army
in place, McPherson arrived in Johnston's rear on May 9th. "I've got Joe
Johnston dead!" shouted Sherman upon hearing the news. But McPherson
encountered resistance at Resaca, a division of Confederate Gen.
Leonidas Polk's having fortuitously arrived from Rome, Georgia, just in
time to augment the garrison in the prepared fortifications there.
Although he outnumbered the Resaca defenders four to one, McPherson
decided to pull back to the mouth of the Snake Creek Gap, dig in, and
await the arrival of the rest of Sherman's forces. Discovering that
Johnston had abandoned his defenses on Rocky Face Ridge and pulled back
to Resaca, Thomas and Schofield were directed to follow McPherson
through Snake Creek Gap and join him for an assault on Resaca, and the
entire Federal force arrived there on May 12th and 13th
